1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus capable of acquiring an image from an acquisition source and outputting the image to an output destination, an image processing method, and a computer-readable recording medium recording an image processing program. Particularly, the present invention relates to an image processing apparatus that allows the user to register the information such as an acquisition source and an output destination and also to use the registered information such as an acquisition source and an output destination, an image processing method, and a computer-readable recording medium recording an image processing program.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an image processing apparatus capable of acquiring an image from the acquisition source and outputting the image to the output destination, an image processing apparatus is well known which reads the image stored in the hard disk to save the image in the external server apparatus via the network. There is a need for such an image processing apparatus by which the user can reuse the information such as an acquisition source and an output destination, as required, that has been input in the past. The following techniques are proposed with regard to the image processing apparatus in which the input information such as an acquisition source and an output destination is stored to thereby allow this input information to be reused.
For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-334870 discloses an image processing system. According to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-334870, a plurality of MFPs constituting the image processing system each store the registration user information in the HDD including at least the user identification information used for identifying the user, requests at least one of other MFPs to transmit the registration user information stored in the HDD provided in the at least one of the other MFPs, receives the registration user information transmitted by the at least one of the other MFPs in response to the request, and stores the user data including at least the received registration user information in the HDD.
Furthermore, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-345965 discloses a condition setting input apparatus. According to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-345965, the condition setting input apparatus includes a hierarchical setting input screen for inputting the condition; a setting confirmation screen on which a list of conditions input on the setting input screen is displayed; memory registration instructing means provided on the setting confirmation screen for giving an instruction to store the input condition in a memory; and memory calling instructing means for calling the condition stored in the memory to be used.
Furthermore, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-345954 discloses a workflow management apparatus. According to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-345954, in accordance with one or more workflows registered in the flow table, the processes in the processing unit are selectively carried out in the workflow control unit to proceed with the workflow. In this case, history information is generated each time the process in the processing unit is carried out, and the generated history information is stored in the history storing unit. The history storing unit stores the history information for each process in the processing unit. In addition, the history information includes the information used for referring to the history information of the process carried out at other stages in the workflow in which the history information is remained, to thereby allow acquisition of the history information along the process flow in the workflow. As a matter of course, the history processed in the workflow can also be stored as a flow history in the history storing unit.
Furthermore, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-081093 discloses an image processing apparatus. According to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-081093, a function group registration unit is used to group and register one or more function setting screens in advance. In the case where the user sets the setting value for each function, the grouped and registered function setting screens are read in the function group reading unit, the resultant grouped function setting screens are sequentially displayed in the function selecting unit, and then, the function setting operation is carried out in the parameter setting unit.
However, in the image processing apparatus as described in the above conventional art, the method of inputting the information such as an acquisition source and an output destination of the image by the user is complicated, and the method of utilizing the registered information such as an acquisition source and an output destination is also complicated.